Leaf funnel

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for use with a paper yard waste bag is disclosed. The bag has a flat rectangular bottom and, when expanded and empty, interiorly defines a void substantially in the shape of a rectangular prism. The apparatus includes a body having collapsed and expanded configurations as well as a support and a chute. When collapsed, the support is smaller than said prism. When expanded and in use, the support is disposed in a portion of said bag to hold that portion at least substantially fully expanded and the chute is disposed exteriorly of the bag and leads through the support into said bag, the chute having a base side arranged substantially coplanar with a wall of the bag, thereby to permit said bag and apparatus to be positioned with the wall of the bag and the base side of the chute on the ground to function like a dustpan.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/350,087 filed Jun. 1, 2010, the contents of which are hereby incorporated in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to the field of yard maintenance. In particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus for use with a paper yard waste bag.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many plants lose their leaves seasonally and it is commonplace at least in parts of North America for homeowners to gather fallen leaves and package them in large paper bags for municipal pickup.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Forming one aspect of the invention is apparatus for use with a paper yard waste bag of the type which has a flat rectangular bottom and which, when fully expanded and empty, interiorly defines a void substantially in the shape of a rectangular prism. The apparatus comprises a body having a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration and a support portion and a chute portion. In the collapsed configuration of the body, the support portion is smaller than said rectangular prism. In the expanded configuration of the body and in use, the support portion is disposed in a portion of said bag to hold that portion of said bag at least substantially fully expanded and the chute portion defines a chute disposed exteriorly of the bag and leading through the support portion into said bag. The chute has a base side arranged substantially coplanar with a wall of the bag, thereby to permit said bag and the apparatus to be positioned with the wall of the bag and the base side of the chute on the ground to function in the manner of a dustpan.

According to another aspect of the invention, in the expanded position of the body and in use, a base side of the support portion can be substantially coplanar with the base side of the chute and extend substantially the full width of the wall of the bag.

According to another aspect of the invention, the apparatus can be biased for movement towards the expanded configuration.

According to another aspect of the invention, the chute can be a funnel.

According to another aspect of the invention, in the expanded configuration of the body, the support portion can have a generally triangular cross-section.

According to other aspects of the invention the body can be defined by a single sheet of plastic; the sheet of plastic, if laid flat and viewed in plan, can be generally rectangular;

the base side of the chute can be defined between two slits which extend from a common edge of the sheet, spaced apart from one another and extending away from one another as they extend from the common edge to respective termini; a crease can be provided in the sheet for each slit, the creases extending outwardly from one another to respective edges of the sheet which are opposite to one another and connected by the edge of the sheet from which the slits extend, each crease extending from the termini of the slit for which it is provided; in each portion of the sheet bounded by the perimeter of the sheet, a slit and a crease, an aperture can be provided, to define in said each portion a handle which permits the apparatus to be drawn from the bag when the bag has been filled; notches can be provided in the opposite edges of the sheet such that the creases provided for the slits terminate in the notches; and a pair of folds can be provided in the sheet, each fold extending from a respective notch, towards the edge of the sheet opposite the edge of the sheet from which the slits extend, to define a pair of flaps, the flaps, in use and in the expanded configuration of the body, overlapping one another and being orientated substantially parallel to the base side of the support portion.

Thus, the present invention facilitates yard waste collection.

Other advantages, features and characteristics of the present invention, as well as methods of operation and functions of the related elements of the structure, and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying photographs, the latter being briefly described hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art yard waste bag;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention in a collapsed configuration;

FIG. 3 is a view, similar to FIG. 1, but showing the apparatus in an expanded configuration;

FIG. 4 is a view, similar to FIG. 1, but showing the apparatus in use with the bag of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a view, similar to FIG. 4 but showing the apparatus in an expanded configuration;

FIG. 6 is an assembly view of the apparatus of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 7 is a view of the structure of FIG. 6, prior to creasing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As an initial matter, FIG. 1 shows a paper yard waste bag 14 of the prior art. This bag 14, which forms no part of the invention and is illustrated only for clarity, will be seen to be of the type having a flat rectangular bottom 16 and which, when fully expanded and empty, interiorly defines a void 18 substantially in the shape of a rectangular prism.

Turning now to the present invention and with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, apparatus 20 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown therein and will be seen to have a collapsed configuration, as shown in FIG. 2, an expanded configuration, as shown in FIG. 3, a support portion 22 and a chute portion 24, and will be understood to be biased for movement towards the expanded configuration. As shown in FIG. 2, the support portion 22 is folded relatively tightly upon itself and it will be understood that, in this configuration, it is smaller in external dimensions than said rectangular prism defined by the prior art bag. With reference to FIG. 3, in the expanded configuration, the support portion 22 defines a tube 26 of generally triangular cross-section and the chute portion 24 defines a chute 28, or more specifically, a funnel, leading into the tube 26. Further structural features are described in the following paragraphs, which describe the manner of use, but at this time it is merely noted that, in the expanded configuration, overlapping flaps 30 are provided which form a substantially planar surface 32 that represents a departure from triangularity in terms of the cross-section, i.e. the triangle is truncated.

In use, the apparatus 20 is firstly arranged in the collapsed configuration, and inserted into the open end of the prior art yard bag 14, as shown in FIG. 4. The relatively small external dimensions of the apparatus 20 when in the collapsed configuration allows this to be done relatively easily, even by persons wearing gloves or the like. Once the support portion 22 of the apparatus 20 has been inserted, it is released, and, as necessary, manually manipulated into the expanded configuration, as shown in FIG. 5.

In this configuration, the support portion 22/26 holds the end of the bag 14 in which it is fitted substantially fully expanded and the chute portion 24 defines a chute 28 leading through the support portion 22 into said bag 14. As shown in FIG. 5, the chute 28 has a base side 34 arranged substantially coplanar with a wall 36 of the bag. The support portion also has a base side 38 arranged substantially coplanar with the wall 36 of the bag 14, and extending substantially the full width thereof. This permits the bag 14 and the apparatus 20 to be positioned with the wall 36 of the bag 14 and the base sides 34,38 of the chute 24 and support 22 portion on the ground to collectively function in the manner of a dustpan. Persons can rake leaves into the mouth of the funnel-shaped chute 28, and thereafter will typically, by hand, force those leaves into the bag 14.

Once the bag 14 has been filled with leaves to the desired amount, the apparatus can be gripped by the handles 39 provided thereon and withdrawn from the bag 14. It will be noted in this regard that the overlapping flaps 30 previously mentioned avoid the presence of a ridge, which tends to reduce ripping in the bag. It will also be noted that the plastic is flexible, and as the bag 14 is filled with leaves, the triangular cross-section of the support portion will give way to a more rectangular or rounded shape, as it is forced against the walls of the bag 14. Once the bag 14 has been filled and the apparatus 20 removed, the bag 14 can then be positioned upright and closed in a conventional manner (not shown).

As indicated above, the foregoing apparatus facilitates leaf collection and is relatively easy to use. The exemplary apparatus is also relatively economical to manufacture, being formed of only a sheet 40 of plastic, with relatively little waste and little forming required. In this regard, FIG. 6 shows the apparatus laid generally flat. In this configuration, the sheet 40 will be seen to be generally rectangular.

The apparatus of the present invention may be manufactured in the following manner:

the base side 34 of the chute is defined between two slits 42 which extend from a common edge 44 of the sheet, spaced apart from one another and extending away from one another as they extend from the common edge 44 to respective termini 46;

a crease 48 is provided in the sheet 40 for each slit 42, the creases 48 extending outwardly from one another to respective edges 50 of the sheet 40 which are opposite to one another and connected by the edge 44 of the sheet from which the slits 42 extend, each crease 48 extending from the termini 46 of the slit 42 for which it is provided;

in each portion of the sheet bounded by the perimeter of the sheet, a slit 42 and a crease 48, an aperture 52 is provided, to define in said each portion one of the handles 39;

notches 56 are provided in the opposite edges 50 of the sheet such that the creases 48 provided for the slits 42 terminate in the notches 56; and

a pair of folds 58 are provided in the sheet, each fold 58 extending from a respective notch 56, towards the edge 60 of the sheet opposite the edge 44 of the sheet from which the slits 42 extend, to define the pair of flaps 30.

The structure of FIG. 6 is shown in a partially-manufactured state in FIG. 7, to wit, before creases have been made.

Whereas but a single exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown and described, numerous variations are possible. For example, only, whereas in the exemplary embodiment, the apparatus is biased for movement from the collapsed to the expanded configuration through the resiliency of a plastic sheet that is not creased in the portion that constitutes the support portion, this is not strictly necessary. The apparatus could, for example, be provided in an unbiased format, with folds or creases delineating the sides of the support tube. This would facilitate flat packing and would require only that the user manipulate the support portion into the operative configuration without the assistance of the spring action provided by the plastic sheet.

Accordingly, the invention should be understood as limited only by the accompanying claims, purposively construed. 

1. An apparatus for use with a paper yard waste bag of the type which has a flat rectangular bottom and which, when fully expanded and empty, interiorly defines a void substantially in the shape of a rectangular prism, said apparatus comprising: a body having a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration and a support portion and a chute portion; wherein in the collapsed configuration of the body, the support portion is smaller than said rectangular prism; and in the expanded configuration of the body and in use, the support portion is disposed in a portion of said bag to hold that portion of said bag at least substantially fully expanded and the chute portion defines a chute disposed exteriorly of the bag and leading through the support portion into said bag, the chute having a base side arranged substantially coplanar with a wall of the bag, thereby to permit said bag and the apparatus to be positioned with the wall of the bag and the base side of the chute on the ground to function in the manner of a dustpan.
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the expanded position of the body and in use, a base side of the support portion is substantially coplanar with the base side of the chute and extends substantially the full width of the wall of the bag.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the apparatus is biased for movement towards the expanded configuration.
 4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the chute is a funnel.
 5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the body is defined by a single sheet of plastic.
 6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein in the expanded configuration of the body, the support portion has a generally triangular cross-section.
 7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein in the expanded configuration of the body, the support portion has a generally triangular cross-section.
 8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the sheet of plastic, if laid flat and viewed in plan, is generally rectangular.
 9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein: the base side of the chute is defined between two slits which extend from a common edge of the sheet, spaced apart from one another and extending away from one another as they extend from the common edge to respective termini; and a crease is provided in the sheet for each slit, the creases extending outwardly from one another to respective edges of the sheet which are opposite to one another and connected by the edge of the sheet from which the slits extend, each crease extending from the termini of the slit for which it is provided.
 10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein in each portion of the sheet bounded by the perimeter of the sheet, a slit and a crease, an aperture is provided, to define in said each portion a handle which permits the apparatus to be drawn from the bag when the bag has been filled.
 11. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, notches are provided in the opposite edges of the sheet such that the creases provided for the slits terminate in the notches.
 12. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a pair of folds are provided in the sheet, each fold extending from a respective notch, towards the edge of the sheet opposite the edge of the sheet from which the slits extend, to define a pair of flaps, the flaps, in use and in the expanded configuration of the body, overlapping one another and being orientated substantially parallel to the base side of the support portion. 